Proving popular with countless generations of gamers, despite its age, inspiring fanart, fiction, a series of spinoff games and even a full-budget movie, it's tempting to fit Final Fantasy VII with the title 'Greatest. Game. Ever'.

And I'll agree, it's an awesome game - but, as much as I love FF7, as much I enjoy playing through it over, and over, there's always been a nagging suspicion: could it be... better?

Let's be honest. The battles can get a little too samey, there's little incentive to experiment with materia, and the game can all to easily be bested by simply attacking and spamming Cure-All. We've all heard horror stories about players who have managed to push themselves to the Northern Crater without even grasping the basics of the materia system.

This mod - this rebalance - seeks to address these issues, altering enemy statistics and AI, nerfing overpowered skills whilst promoting others that have been neglected, introducing new tactics, creating cunning and entertaining creatures, and overall making battles far more exciting and engaging.

So, what exactly will the rebirth mod feature? Work is still in progress, and I intent to keep certain features secret until release, so as not to spoil matters, but the mod has the following broad aim in mind: to promote a more strategic mode of gameplay. You won't be able to mash attack to get through REBIRTH. You'll have to keep your wits as sharp as your sword, and think carefully about every choice you make through the entire game.

Contrary to popular opinion, Rebirth didn't die, it just got put on the back burner for a while. Since Christmas 2011, I've been working on a PSX Disc One beta to be released as a demo / early version sometime around the end of next month / May 2012.
As proof, here's a video of me fighting the Materia Keeper, here called a Hexadragon to hint at his ice-weak, fire-absorbing elemental affinities. Rebirth's enemies are divided up into a small number of memorable classes with particular weaknesses and resistances, and often renamed to hint at those classes. It's just one of the things that (I hope) will make Rebirth a fun mod to play.

The disc one demo will include

New materia and magic, including the much-desired water, wind and holy spells

Rebalanced limit breaks

Completely new equipment, with an emphasis on double-edged 'sidegrades' rather than 'upgrades'

Motor ball gave [protect vest] i think.(vitality +10)
-Now im stuck at the chocobo ranch/...every time i enter it i get a black or bugged screen...has something to do with the emulator i think....bah tried every video plugin, none works:(

So some more feedback
-The bugged steal from reactor 5 boss, is the same bugged one as from grunt a in ractor 7.
-Motor Ball crashes if he uses the flame attack.Had to defeat him before he uses it(did it with 3 graviballs+limits).
-Playing the flashback at nibelheim atm and the master materias all have no equip/stat increase effect,is it intended?

I only have 1 graviball. I think to use original game for defeat motorball, and after return to rebirth. The question is: Motorball give antipoison accesory (original game) or give another item when you defeat him? If him don't give nothing important I continue playing without problem.

Reactor 1: This part has a better difficult now. Noobs players can complete in one or two intents, and veterans have a more difficult start if you compared with original game and a option for intent stolen and don’t spent items.
Enemys are fine. Obviosly, the encounters are less interesting without IA changues and the others mechanics (leader, engynner, etc), but is better than the original game. One night guard float in a match (little bug).
I think those guardian scorpions need to do more damage with his standar attacks (he gives you an opportunity for use defense). I’m not sure that the “laser tail 1 point attack versión” are a better option that “laser tail 200 damage point versión”, but the two are correct choices.

PD: Great joob with weapons and armours. I have dudes of what is the better option for equip my characters in the first shop of the game,xD

Reactor 5 missión:
Tunels enemys ok: Misil launcher isn’t weak to water, ¿why? Bubbles from plate are a little hard but fine in anycase. Note: water materia need a really hight AP points for upgrade. Is correct that?
Reactor: ok, this time we fight a certain variety of enemys. Good. The problem is that in essencial they do the same. But better that the demo. Without IA changes is difficult to upgrade this part.
Airbuster: Wooooo, you solved the bug of airbuster. Nice. But exist another bug to stolen (mesage similar to: fhcabsufbaf4452oaifbafbafbs1516)xD. The second and third intent to stolen the emulator crash. I decide don’t stolen anything. Difficult is correct now. He is a challengue for a noob, and the first time he kill me (I’m testing things how steal him, spells and differents weapons, etc). In the second battle, playing serious without testing, i defeat him. Really nice work with him except for the bug.
For curiosity: what item have this bastard?

Sector 5 – Wall Market
Hedhehog in church looks too weak. But is true that I have attack materia + materia all. They attack well. I suppose that this is the correct way and they are more dangerous without “this combo”. Night guards are the same, nothing to say.
Leech’s are fine. If they are alone on in couples you don’t need to worry about him, but in great groups can be a problem.
I don’t fight with the mad house. Maybe next time, when I return from sector 7.
Corneo lackeys have the same problem of hedhehog. But is true that Scotch is dangerous, and without a “attack spell agains all” the battle can be difficult. Correct in anycase.

Sewers
Apps: He hit harder this time. If, in the future you return to modify IA, I think that can be a good idea agree a text message warning of the change of course of the wave for motive the use of defense command.
Turtles and crabs are ok.
Steal materia isn’t neccesary.

Train graveyeard
Think in the next idea: Add to ghost (better choice) or dragons attacks sleep status. That’s made a lot more useful the Aeris Chaplain Staff, (and is really good in this moment of the game at least, and correct with the essence of the character) but you can evite in anycase Sleep attacking Ghosts causing that they dissapear.
Eligor is correct. Maybe he need a little more of Hp, but damage and silence is correct.

Plate Support, sector 7
Aero combatants are correct. Maybe a little hard to stolen for only a potion, but is possible that only was bad luck.
Reno: I think that he is a little easy opponent if you compared with previous bosses. Maybe he needs to do 35% more damage or (better) increase at 50% his speed but make him vulnerable to slow (Cross-slash).
PD: I know that Barret need to do less damage that Tifa, but he really do low damage with cannon ball that tifa with his initial weapon. I don’t know how use them correctly (well, use him for cover other characters for the moment was my better idea and works correctly).

Shinra HQ “The rescue”
Start the party!
Before start, great option the ice/water claw for Tifa in Wall Market.
Soldier’s grenaders look balanced.But I think that is better nerf him and add two more in the battle (and more logical because 4 guards attack you!)
Powers armours need more hp and assasins better evasión. Is a good thing that assasins hit harder because give you a chance for use defense.
NOTE: I win a combat without killing and assasin. (two power armous and one assasin). Any message appears.
I think that is a good idea gives limited time for acces the menu in the elevator, but I understand that this can be problematic. (Bugs, hard work, etc)
Sword dances maybe are too easy to defeat. I think that changue fury for sadness at least. Hammers blasters are correct. Moth slasher hit really hard but is correct if they appear alone. (Thank you for the carbon Bangle that he gives).
Ambush in the “metal gear solid part” (one of the worst minigames of the game) in plant 60 are realy dangerous. One assasin kill me barret from one (back) attack. Ouch. But I think that is fine. Ambush need to be really dangerous!

SAMPLE H0512: Good job with this boss. The new poison combine with sleep suppose a more tactic battle that previous bosses. Life materia to red/Nanaki is also a great point.
life start “mastered”? For me isn’t a problem in anycase, life2 was overpowered and innecesary (for this reason exist enemy materia and his angel song )

Soldiers 3º are fine. Good work with Hardedge weapon. Dude: Blunt is an extra effect that I don’t know or only descriptive propose?

Shinra HQ: “Sephirot comes”
Interesting work with venom crepprer. Aeris curative Staff becomes more useful in this part. Biopod and zenene are correct, but too similar. Exchangue zenene poison for blind and problem solved. Poison attacks become the nastiest element for your characters.
Dude: If possible modify the elements affinitys from the characters? I think that more people can look with good eyes give fire resistance/ice weakness to Red XIII and thunder/water for caitshit.

Bosses: Hundred Gunner/ Helli Gunner
Hundred Gunner inflict a lot of damage, but is appropiated. If you die, you know for the next intent that you need to put your characters in back row. Electro artillery now makes you considering use defense. Good.
Helli gunner: Really dangerous, his spinning attacks can kill Aeris or Red in front Row in one hit. But if you are in back row again, you can defeat him. Correct.

Rufus and Dark Nation:
Dark Nation is fine. For the future, I think that a good idea is reduce a little the damage from Rufus and add to his laught an increased ¿50%? damage for his next attack. Counter attack, cross-slash and Poison Materia were the key of the battle.

Note: I always make my team with the characters that have the low level, except if I need certains characters for see specific scenes.